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On Friday, May 19, President Trump embarked on his first overseas trip as president. He first visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; then Israel with a stop in Bethlehem in the West Bank; and then went to the Vatican where he had an audience with Pope Francis. On May 25, the president met with the EU and European Council presidents and then met with NATO leaders. On the final leg of this trip, President Trump is in Italy May 26-27 for the G-7 meeting on the island of Sicily.

Brookings experts have been and will continue to offer their analyses and commentary on the trip and the relevant policy issues. Here is what they have said thus far. This page will be updated as the president’s trip unfolds.

NATO SUMMIT

The White House told the NYT yesterday Trump would finally endorse Article 5. The fact that he did not is astonishing and shows 1/n

Michael O’Hanlon says President Trump’s decision to not explicitly endorse Article 5 of the NATO treaty is “regrettable” but “a relatively minor mistake.” He explains that the article itself is ambiguous in what commitment for action it requires of member states, and, moreover, the continued presence of U.S. troops in Poland and the Baltic states and the president’s statement that “NATO is no longer obsolete” offer reassurance about America’s obligations.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and President Trump met during the trip. Writing in the wake of their meeting on May 3, Shibley Telhami observed that by large margins Trump voters and Republicans lean toward Israel when it comes to a question of the administration’s role in mediating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

SAUDI ARABIA

“I am reassured that there wasn’t anything extremely offensive said about Islam. It’s a low bar I guess, but Islam here is included as part of a common civilizational front.” – Shadi Hamid, Weekend Edition Sunday

Dan Byman contextualized Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the U.S. under President Obama and considers how this dynamic will change as President Trump’s visit approaches. “There’s a real chance for a reset with President Trump’s visit,” Byman says. Listen: